When members of the Colorado General Assembly and Mental Health America of Colorado learned that Robin Williams had died by suicide, we were saddened. His kindness and passion for helping those in need moved us. His portrayals of teachers, healers, fathers and friends who used the experience of their own struggles to help others will be a source of inspiration always.

Williams had severe depression, and worked to stay in recovery from substance abuse. His passing moved people around the world to share personal stories about mental health and suicide.

In 2012, at least 1,053 people died by suicide in Colorado. We have the eighth highest suicide rate in the nation. Working-age men are most at risk of dying by suicide, but the highest rate of suicide attempts is among teenage girls and young women. Suicide is the leading cause of death among Coloradans ages 10 to 35.

These people are our parents, children, friends, classmates and coworkers. The trauma and grief we experience as individuals after a loss to suicide ripple through our communities. Together we feel the urge to turn our mourning into something that can help prevent these tragic deaths.

Our attitudes and how we take care of each other are essential to improving our mental health and preventing suicides. Each of us can be a part of prevention by helping to end the stigma against mental illness and substance abuse.

Mental health conditions, including substance abuse, are brain disorders that affect our emotions, thinking, behaviors, and ability to function. They are not character flaws. They are health conditions that can be treated, and recovery is possible.

Struggling with depression or substance abuse is not a sign of weakness. When someone with a mental health condition dies of suicide, it is not because they are selfish or do not care about themselves and others.

The stigma against mental health causes fear, secrecy, and shame. One in three Coloradans experience mental health conditions each year, but people fear a mental health diagnosis will lead to being labeled, judged, and discriminated against by loved ones and society. This fear does not always go away when people receive treatment. That is what makes stigma so dangerous. Even when someone is trying to get better, stigma can still cause hopelessness and isolation.

Each of us can take simple steps to help end stigma.

Start by using person-first language. We all experience health issues, but we are not our diagnoses. We do not call people with cancer “the cancerous.” Apply that to mental health. Do not say “the mentally ill,” say people with mental illness. This small change has a big impact.

Talk about it. Bringing our own mental health stories into the light of day is powerful. It helps the person who shares, and it helps those who listen realize they are not alone.

Educate yourself and others about mental health. Get trained in Mental Health First Aid, an eight-hour certification course that is like CPR for our brains. You can find a training session in Colorado near you by visiting www.mhfaco.org.

Appropriate interventions during a mental health crisis can lead to recovery. If you or someone you know are in crisis, call Colorado Crisis and Support Line at 844-493-TALK (8255). This public service offers free and confidential counseling and referrals 24 hours a day.

Ending stigma means understanding that mental health is health. It is part of all our lives. When we end stigma as individuals, we erase the fear of admitting we need help or reaching out to loved ones who might be struggling in silence. If we end stigma together, and address mental health conditions with the same urgency that we have other illnesses, we can save and improve countless lives.

The greatest tribute to the inspiration Robin Williams gave us all is to work together to end stigma and take better care of each other and ourselves.

Clarice Navarro-Ratzlaff is state representative for House District 47. Don Mares is president and CEO of Mental Health America of Colorado.

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